1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a front-end structure to which a center member, which is fixed to the body of a vehicle at the front end of the vehicle and supports a driving engine, is joined.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a typical (medium-size class) FF (front end engine, front-wheel drive) type vehicle, an engine is supported, as shown in FIGS. 4A and B, by a center member 500, bridging a panel body 400 and a body (dash panel) 600 of a vehicle, and a body (fender panel, side member) 610. For this reason, on a joining section of the panel body to which the center member is joined, a relatively large stress is produced by the weight of the engine. In FIG. 4A, shrouds are omitted for easy understanding.
On the contrary, the invention described in the specification of Japanese Patent No.2931605 achieves a weight reduction and productivity improvement of the panel body by forming it with resin and embedding reinforcing members formed by stamping steel into sections of the panel body, such as the joining section, to which a large load is applied, while keeping the necessary mechanical strength of the panel body.
However, as the above invention requires a mold for forming the panel body out of resin and a mold for forming the reinforcing members by stamping steel and also requires a mold adjuster for placing the reinforcing members in the cavity of the mold for forming the panel body out of resin, the capital investment increases and it is difficult to decrease the number of man-hours (manufacturing time) needed to manufacture the panel body.
As shown in FIG. 2, a radiator 100 and fans 200 for supplying cooling air to the radiator 100 are usually attached to the panel body fixed to a body of a vehicle at a front end of the vehicle. However, as the fans 200 are attached directly to the shafts of the electric motors 300, and the fans 200 and the electric motors 300 are disposed in series in the cooling air flow, it is difficult to reduce the dimension A (this dimension A is called fan-shaft dimension A hereinafter), between the radiator and the electric motors, measured along the cooling air flow.
For this reason, it is difficult to downsize the vehicle while mounting the electric motors 300, an engine E/G, and other auxiliaries in an engine compartment so that the electric motors 300 do not interfere with the engine E/G and other auxiliaries disposed in a downstream part of a cooling air flow.
In addition, since it is not possible to avoid disposing the electric motors 300 near heat producing elements such as the engine E/G, the amount of heat given to the electric motors 300 by the engine E/G increases, and thereby heat damage to the electric motors 300 may occur.
In order to solve such problem, solutions such that the electric motors themselves are downsized to reduce the fan-shaft dimension A, or heat insulating materials are disposed between the electric motors 300 and the engine E/G may be proposed. However, when the electric motors themselves are downsized, the capacities of the electric motors 300 decrease, and thereby the durability of the electric motors 300 decreases and, when heat insulating materials are disposed between the electric motors 300 and the engine E/G, the numbers of parts and manufacturing man-hours increase.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to reduce the weight and the manufacturing cost of the panel body while keeping the necessary mechanical strength of the panel body.
It is another object of the present invention to reduce the fan-shaft dimension A.
In order to achieve the above objects, the present invention, in a first aspect, provides a front-end structure comprising a panel body (400) to which a center member (500), being fixed to a body of a vehicle at a front end of the vehicle and supporting, at least, a driving engine (E/G), is joined, wherein the panel body (400) is molded out of aluminum by die-casting and a joining section (421) of the panel body (400) to which the center member (500) is joined has a mechanical strength higher than that of any other section of the panel body (400) near the joining section (421) except the joining section (421).
In a second aspect, the present invention provides a front-end structure comprising a panel body (400) to which a center member (500), being fixed to a body of a vehicle at a front end of the vehicle and supporting, at least, a driving engine (E/G), is joined; wherein the panel body (400) comprises an upper beam (410) which is disposed at the top of the panel body (400) and extends in a horizontal direction, a lower beam (420) which is disposed at the bottom of the panel body (400), extends in a horizontal direction, and is provided with a joining section (421) to which the center member (500) is joined, and pillars (430) which extend upward and downward to join the upper and lower beams (410, 420); wherein the upper and lower beams (410, 420) and the pillars (430) are integrally molded out of aluminum by die-casting; and wherein the joining section (421) has a mechanical strength higher than that of any other section of the lower beam (420) except the joining section (421).
In a third aspect, the present invention provides a front-end structure wherein the mechanical strength of the joining section (421) may be enhanced by increasing the thickness of the joining section (421).
In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a front-end structure wherein the mechanical strength of the joining section (421) may be enhanced by providing reinforcing ribs (423).
In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides a front-end structure wherein the panel body (400) has integrally-molded shrouds (450) for preventing, by covering the clearance between a radiator (100) of the vehicle and a fan (200) for supplying cooling air to the radiator (100), that the air flow induced by the fan (200) detours around the radiator (100).
In a sixth aspect, the present invention provides a front-end structure of a vehicle which is fixed to the body of the vehicle at the front end of the vehicle and has a panel body (400) to which at least a radiator (100) is attached; wherein the front-end structure comprises a fan (200), which is attached to the front-end panel (400) and supplies cooling air to the radiator (100), and a driving means (300) which is disposed in a position, in the panel body (400), deviated from the rotation center of the fan (200) and rotates the fan (200) via a belt (310); and wherein the panel body (400) is made of metal.
In a seventh aspect, the present invention provides a front-end structure of a vehicle wherein the panel body (400) may have integrally-molded shrouds (450) for preventing, by covering the clearance between the fan (200) and the radiator (100), that the air flow induced by the fan (200) detours around the radiator (100).
In an eighth aspect, the present invention provides a front-end structure of a vehicle wherein the panel body (400) may have integrally-molded belt covers (460) for covering the belt (310).
In a ninth aspect, the present invention provides a front-end structure of a vehicle, wherein a plurality of the fans (200) may be attached to the panel body (400) and may be rotated by the driving means (300) via the belt (310).
In a tenth aspect, the present invention provides a front-end structure of a vehicle wherein the panel body (400) may be provided with a cooling air inlet (411) for conducting the cooling air to the driving means (300).
In an eleventh aspect, the present invention provides a front-end structure of a vehicle wherein the fan (200) is disposed at a more downstream side of the cooling air flow than the radiator (100).
In a twelfth aspect, the present invention provides a front-end structure of a vehicle wherein the panel body (400) is preferably molded out of aluminum by die-casting.
In the above aspects, characters or numerals in parentheses are used to show an example of embodiments of the present invention and correspond to the specific components in the embodiments discussed later.
The present invention may be more fully understood from the description of the preferred embodiments of the invention set forth below, together with the accompanying drawings.